Vietnam POW: Hanoi Hilton Torturers Cited Kerry's Speech

A former Vietnam POW is alleging that his Hanoi captors specifically cited Sen. John Kerry's 1971 anti-war testimony to Congress as they brutally tortured him to get him to turn on his fellow GIs.

One-time Navy pilot Paul Galanti was shot down over North Vietnam in 1966 and spent seven years in the infamous Hanoi Hilton.

He told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday that he learned of Kerry's April 1971 testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee while being tortured by his Hanoi Hilton guards.

According to the Times, "during torture sessions, [Galanti] said, his captors cited the antiwar speeches as 'an example of why we should cross over to [their] side.'"

In his account to the Senate, Kerry accused U.S. soldiers of routinely committing rapes, beheadings, mutilations and all manner of atrocities against the Vietnamese people.

Galanti told the Times that Kerry's decision to publicly allege that U.S. soldiers were war criminals "jeopardize[d] those still in battle or in the hands of the enemy."

Because he did, Galanti said, "John Kerry was a traitor to the men he served with."

"The Viet Cong didn't think they had to win the war on the battlefield," the ex-POW said, "because thanks to these protesters they were going to win it on the streets of San Francisco and Washington."

Although Galanti's fellow POW, Sen. John McCain, has been silent in recent years about the damage Sen. Kerry caused as a leader of the radical group Vietnam Veterans Against the War, in 1973 McCain told U.S. News & World Report that throughout his imprisonment, his North Vietnamese captors were "bombarding us with anti-war quotes from people in high places back in Washington."

"This was the most effective propaganda they had to use against us," the Arizona Republican explained.

But Galanti is the first POW to say that his Hanoi Hilton guards expressly invoked Sen. Kerry's words during their brutal torture sessions.

In his comments to the Times, he accused said the Democratic presidential front-runner of having blood on his hands, contending, "The Vietnam memorial has thousands of additional names due to John Kerry and others like him."

In a follow-up interview with Fox News Channel's John Gibson, Galanti said he'll take his story directly to the American people if the press fails to expose the truth about candidate Kerry.

"Let me tell you one thing, it looks like John Kerry is going to get the nomination," he told Gibson. "If he does, I'm going to come out of the woodwork, and there's a whole bunch of us [who feel] the same way."

I have read that in General Giap's memoirs, he specifically cites the VVAW as being his greatest allies in his victory.

Believe me I've searched high and low for an actual quote from Giap regarding the antiwar effort, and there is not one to be found, at least on the internet. Sure, people will cite it, but it's like an urban legend, there's nothing out there. Which doesn't mean he didn't say it or write it.

A couple weeks ago, even Ollie North cited it, said it was in Giap's 1985 autobiography. But he didn't have the exact quotes either.

A source elsewhere (I think a French-Vietnamese guy) said the Giap statement came from an interview broadcast on French television. But once again, paraphrased, second-hand, no specific quote.

Not being a paid reporter or researcher, and not wanting to huff down to the university library, I'm not gonna spend anyomore time or effort looking for it. But a couple of Giap's books are on Amazon should you want to pursue the question.

Paul E. Galanti Commander, U.S. Navy (Retired) The Attitude Adjuster pgalanti@comcast.net (804) 389-1668 cell Paul Galanti was a prisoner of war for nearly seven years in North Vietnam's infamous Hanoi Hilton complex. He not only maintained his sanity, he has managed, since his return in February 1973, to excel in several different fields. He maintains a positive attitude despite having been deprived of "what should have been some of the best years of my life." "Not so," says Galanti, "the best years are here, now"! In 2002, Paul was appointed as the Director of National Services Officers for the American Ex-Prisoners of War. In 2003, he was appointed by Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Anthony J. Principi to serve on the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Former Prisoners of War. Most recently, Galanti was named to serve on the board of Virginia's new Department of Veterans' Services by Governor Mark Warner. Background: Paul Galanti was raised in a service family in many states, Japan, France, Turkey and Germany. He graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1962 and then immediately entered Navy jet flight training at the Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida. Upon completion of advanced flight training at NAS Beeville, Texas in November 1963, he was chosen to be a flight instructor in Pensacola. In November 1964, he was assigned to Navy Light Jet Attack Squadron 216 (VA-216) based aboard the carrier, USS Hancock, which departed for Southeast Asia in November 1965. Galanti flew 97 combat missions in his A-4C Skyhawk before being shot down and captured on June 17, 1966. He remained a prisoner of war of the North Vietnamese for nearly seven years and was released on February 12, 1973. Following a rehabilitation period at the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia, he was assigned to the Navy Recruiting District in Richmond, Virginia as its Executive Officer. He received his Master of Commerce degree from the University of Richmond in May 1976 following successful completion of the night school program. He was then assigned by the Navy to be the Commanding Officer of the Richmond Recruiting District which set new records during his tenure as the chief recruiter in Virginia. In July 1979 he was reassigned to the U.S. Naval Academy in the Office of the Commandant as a Battalion Officer where he was responsible for the military and leadership training of 750 academy midshipmen. Additionally, he was assigned as the faculty advisor to the Brigade of Midshipmen Drum & Bugle Corps, the Lucky Bag (the largest collegiate yearbook in the United States) and the Midshipmen Honor Committee. After retiring from the Navy, he became, in 1983, the first non-pharmacist Executive Director of the Virginia Pharmaceutical Association in its 100 year history. During his nearly nine years as Virginia pharmacy's chief executive officer, he was responsible for many innovations including the total computerization of all association activities. He was the Medical Society of Virginia's CEO for nearly six years. In July 1998, he became the Executive Director of the Science Museum of Virginia Foundation after having been a longtime member of the Foundation's Board. Galanti described his being able to work full-time for the Science Museum as one of those rare opportunities that merged business and pleasure. "The Science Museum of Virginia is a wonderful place to visit or work! For several years, he was in charge of marketing and external affairs for Eye-Q, LLC, a web application developer and possessor of a patent-pending networkDisc (trademarked) - a CD technology whose content can be altered. Additionally, with several partners he is developing "Over-55," 80 single family units near Richmond, Virginia. He is the author and webmaster of the Nam-POW (Vietnam POWs) popular site on the World Wide Web which can be accessed at: http://www.nampows.org Galanti's military decorations include the Silver Star, Two Legions of Merit for combat, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Bronze Star for combat, nine Air Medals, the Navy Commendation Medal for combat and two Purple Hearts. Additional Information: Galanti was featured on the cover of Life (October 20, 1967) and Newsweek (February 26, 1973)Selling Power in its May/June 1995 issue and chosen as one of the twelve outstanding motivators in the United States by that national sales journal in May 1996. He is a recipient of the Liberty Bell Award, the Outstanding Virginian Award and numerous other awards and citations for civic service. He is Past President of the Science Museum of Virginia Foundation, Past President of Nam-POWs, the national Vietnam POW Fraternity, a River Rat, POW Coordinator for the Skyhawk Association and an Elder at First Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Virginia. Additionally, he served on the Secretary of Veteran Affairs' Advisory Committee on Former POWs for four years (1989-1993) and was President of his class at Annapolis. During the 2000 presidential primaries, Galanti was the Virginia Chair of Senator John McCain's presidential bid. "John is the only guy I know who is more positive than I am," says Galanti. "He did quite well in Virginia especially considering that the campaign was composed of an all-volunteer Army of political non-professionals"! Recognized for his speaking ability (He's been described as "The Attitude Adjuster"), Galanti's inspirational message has been delivered to more than 1,300 groups ranging from school children to groups of physicians. If you'd like Paul as a speaker for your group, contact him directly by email (preferable) or phone. Note: Organizations interested in having Paul Galanti speak at their meetings or special events should contact Paul directly at (804) 359-6366 or via email at: pgalanti@i2020.net

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